Rockwell chapman



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IMPROVEMENT IN WATER-WHEELS.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CON CERN:

Bc it known that I, ROCKWELL CHAPMAN, of Buchanan, in the county ofBerrien, and Stateiot' Michigan, have invented certain new and usefulimprovements in Water-Wheels and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, making part of this specification` and to theletters of reference marked thereon, like letters indicating like partswherever they occur.

To enable others skilled in the art to construct and use the invention,I will -proceed to describe it.

My invention relates to that class of water-wheels which are denominateddirect-action wheels, and which are intended to revolve in a verticalplane on a horizontal shaft. Mydnvention consists in a novelconstruction of the buckets and water-passages or vents, and in a novelarrangement :for opening the. gates.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section, taken en the line a; :v offig. 4; also on line A B of iig.`2.

Figure 2 is a transverse section, taken on the lines C D andE F.

Figure 3 is a side elevation. y

Figure 4, a top plan, with a portion of the ease removed; and

Figure 5, a similar View, with the case on` I construct my wheel with asolid central hub, E, usually of wood. The buckets c consist of planesurfaces projecting radiallyfrom this central hub, the rear side ofthese buckets consisting of solid blocks extending back for about halftheir length toward the face of the next'bucket, of' full width, fromwhich point they are eut away on each side to a point at the centre, asshown in fig. 4. The outer surfaces are drawn slightly in on their outerfaces until they arrive at the point, where theyjoin on to theverticalface ofthe next succeeding bucketat a point slightly below theouter edge of the bucket c. From the outer edge or sides of the bucketso, on each side, a curved metallic plate, u, extends forward to aboutthe centre of the bucket in front, where it terminates in an openingoutside of the plate immediately preceding it, thus forming a vent orpassage for the discharge or escape of the water that has been projectedagainst the face of the bucket c. This passage is lozenge shaped in itscross-section, as represented at b of iig. 2, the metallic plates 'ztforming the outer wall of the passage, and the curved surface of thesolid portion'd, in rear of the buckets, forming the inner wall forabout halt` the distance, or until the part d becomes of full Width,from which point,l te the termination of the plate u, the next plate uthence to the mouth m constituting the inner wall of the vent orpassage. The wheel thus formed is mounted in a case consisting of twoside pieces A, constructed of plank, and having an opening cut in themof a size corresponding with the diameter of the wheel. Between thesesides A of the case are placed a series of curved metallic plates, h, asshown in iig. I, these plates lapping or extending past each other, asthere shown, and serving as guides to direct the water on to the bucketsc. At the outer end of cach of these plates z a curved gate, u, ishinged, as shown in iigs. 1 and 5, the outer ond of each gate beingcurved inward, so as to iinpnge against the outer surface of the guidesz. The wheel being immersed in the water, it is obvious that thepressure of the water on the outside ot' the gates will press them shut.In order to open them, a chain, Z, is attached to each gate, and passingaround a roller, o, extends up to the top ofthe case, where they areattached to a roller, H, by the turning of which, by ineens of a lever,f, the chains are wound upon the roller and the gates thus opened. Itwill thus be seen that when the gates are opened the water will rush inbetween the guides 7L, and,

striking against the face of the buckets c, will impart its momentum tothe wheel, and as the latter revolves,

the water which has thus expended its force will escape through thevents or passages on each side of thel wheel at the mouths m of saidpassages.

In using this wheel, it may be set in the flume, openings being made forthe escape of the water at the sides, or the water may be conducted toit in a chute or pipe, the case A in that case being closed up aroundits edges, so as to prevent the escape ofthe water except by passingthrough -the wheel.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, is-

A water-wheel having the radial buckets c extending in a straight lineacross the face of the wheel, with the lsolid triangular projection vclin rearof said. buckets, and the curved passages b formed by theoverlapping plates, the whole constructed and arranged as herein shownand described.

2. The combination of the hinged gates n, chains 1, and roller H,arranged and operating as set forth.

h. 'RocKwELL is CHAPMAN.

mark.

Witnesses:

Guo. H. RICHARDS, GEORGE D. Dumon.

